Addressing-machine.



S. ELLIOTT.

ADDRESSING MACHINE. APPLICAHON FILED o c.11.191a.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

l 2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

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ADDRESSING MACHINE.

APPLIVCATION FILED OCT. 11,1913.

Patented Mar. 27, 191?.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

STERLING ELLIOTT, 0F NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

anD'anssmG-Macnmn.

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Specification of Letters Patent.

- Patented Mar.. 2'?, 101W..

Application med october 11, 1913. serial No. 7941,6201

' which ythe following is a specication.

rlhis invention relates to addressing machines, and has for its object to construct a simple machine adapted to be operated by one hand While the other hand is employed for delivering envelops which are to be printed to the machine7 and for taking away the printed envelops.

The machine embodies many of the characteristic features of the large and more expensive machines, and, although notlhaving the capacity of such machines, yet the quality of work done is the same and the capacity `is such as to meet the demands of many small users.

The machine here shown for illustrating my invention embodies a pair of horizontal guide-bars arranged to form a stencil-passage which extends from a stencil-supply compartment at one end of the machine to a stencil receiving compartment at the other end of the machine; an envelop-passage arranged beneath said stencil-passage adapted to admit of envelops being placed by hand in proper position for printing, and subsequently removed; said passage preferably having a gage, a printing-device for coperation with the `stencils to print the envelops, said printing-device comprising a.

pair ot rotatable co-acting sectors for successively engaging the stencils and envelops and while performing the function of printing the envelops, act to move the stencils and envelops along the stencil-passage and envelop-passage, and upon vdisengaging them permit the printed envelops to be removedand the stencil yto be pushed along by the next succeeding stencil ,and thrust through the-entrance and into the stencil receiving compartment at the bottom; a hand\ actuator to which said printing-device is connected; a reciprocating feeding-device connected with said hand-actuator for feeding the stencils along the stencil-passage,j into position to be engaged b the printing-device; a friction-device or engaging the stencils in front ot the printing-device to check or retard their progress at such point, as the movement of the feeding-device, when performed by hand, is liable to be more or less irregular; an inking-mechanism for the printing-sector comprising a rotatable roll for delivering ink to said sector adapted to 'be repeatedly engaged and rotated by said sector, and having hand-engaging means for rotating it independently of said sector, when desired, a rotatable and axially movable roll for transferring ink to said inkdelivering roll, which is yieldingly heldin engagement with said roll, having hand-engagingy means for rotating and moving it ranged for engagement with said rotating and axially movable roll, the Weight of which cylinder' is supported by said roll, said ink-supplyin cylinder having handengaging means or operating it to force the ink through perfor-ations therein.

In some respects the present invention -is an improvement upon the machine of Letters Patent #592,603, dated October 26, 1897; and the ink-supplying cylinder is or may be constructed substantially as represented in Letters Patent #1,036,200 and #1,036,201, dated August 2o, 1912.

' Figure 1 is a rear side elevation ot an addressing machine embodying this invention.

Fig. 2 is a front side elevation of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the machine shown in Fig. 1.

Fig. Ltis a transverse vertical section of the machine shown in Fig. 1, taken on the dotted line 4 4.

Fig. 5 is a longitudinal vertical section of one of the rolls of the inking-mechanism.

tig. 6 is a detail view of the printingdevice. i

Fig. 7 is a detail yiew of the frictiondevice which engages the stencils in the stencil-passage.

Fig. 8 is a detail view of the lifting-means for the stencils at .the bottom of the stencilreceivin compartment, whereby the pile of stencils 1s lifted by a stencil which is being thrust into the compartment at the bottom.

Fig. 9 is adetail view of a gage which is arranged in the envelop-passage.

10 represents the base of the machine, upon which a pair ot long guide-bars 12, 12, are arranged 1n parallel relation, said bars having grooves in their adjacent faces, thereby to form a horizontal guidevvay or passage for the'stencils. Said guide-bars extend from a stencil-supply compartment axially, and an ink-supplying cylinder arat one end of the lnachine to a stencil-receiving compartment at the other end of the machine, and each compartment is adapted to contain a pile of stencils. The supply-compartment is or may be formed by a pair of cross-bars 14:, 14, attached at their ends t0 the guide-bars and havingnprights 15, 15, rising from them, formed with right angu-4 larly formed sides, which uprights serve as end and side walls for the compartment. The stencil-receiving compartment is similarly formed, it comprising a pair of cross-bars 16, 16, attached at their ends to the guidebars and having uprights 17, 17, rising from them provided with right angularly formed sides, which serve as end and side walls for the compartment. The inner faces of the sides of all said uprights are arranged in line with the bottoms of the grooves in the guide-bars. The upper lips of `the grooves of the guide-bars are out away along those portions thereof between the uprights of each compartment, so that the stencils may be introduced at and removed from the top of the compartments, respectively, and while contained therein will rest upon or be supported by the lower lips `of said grooves.

The stencils are taken, serial/tim, fromV the.

bottom of the pile contained in the supplycompartment and are moved along the stencil-passage far enough to be engaged. by the printing-device, by means of a reciprocating sliding pusher 20, made as a plate, which Y enters and slides along in the grooves in the guide bars l2, 12, and said pusher has loosely connected with it one lend of a link 21, the other end of which link is connected to a hand-actuator, here shown as a double-crank arm 22, secured to a shaft 23, and having a handle 24 for rotating it. During each rotation of the crank-arm the pusher is moved forward and returnedto normal position, thus feeding the stencils forward along the stencil-passage and returning to engage the next sitencil. The stencils are thus fed for ward a distance equal to the length of a stencil or thereabout, which it will be understood `is far enough for them to occupy a lposition to be engaged by the printing device. 4

The guide-bars 12, 12, are attached at one end only, to 'a raised portion on top of the base 10, and their unattached portions extend over the remainder of the top of the base and also beyond the end of the base for a suitable distance, as shown in Fig. 1, said unattached portions occupying an elevated position above the top of the base, thereby to provide a narrow space or passage beneath them and above the top of the base for the envelops, said envelop-passage being represented at 25. This envelop-passage is, therefore, open at thcl end and both sides and enables the envelops to be inserted by hand below the stencil-passage, so as to be engaged by the printing-device, and to be subsequently removed.

The envelop-passage is or may be supplied with a gage, here shown as a bar 2G, see Fig's. 4 and 9, of a thickness corresponding to the height ofl the passage and arranged longitudinally with respect thereto, against which the edge of an envelop may be brought to bear when inserted in the passage; a short bent arm 27 supporting said bar, and a bar `28 to which said arm 27 is attached, which bar 28 is extended transversely across the top of the guide-bars and is slidably supported and held in any adjusted position thereon by av clamp 29 arranged on one of the guide bars. A thin plate 30 is also attached to the gage-bar 26, at the top, which extends over the under side of the guidebars 12, 12, to close that. portion of the stencil-passage `between the` guide-bars and envelop-passage for a short distance in front of the printing-device, and thereby prevent the edges or end-portions of the envelops from being thrust upward against the stencils or through the stencil-passage between the guide-bars.

The printing-device. is arranged intermediate the length of the guide-bars, and is designed to engage both the stencils and envelops, and to feed them both forward while printing the envelops, and then to disengage them, permitting the printed envelop to be removed, the stencil at such time reposing in the stencil-passage, preparatory to being moved along and thrust intdthe stencil-receiving compartment at the bottom, by the next succeeding stencil which is fed forward by the printing-device. Said printing-device comprises essentially two plane faced sectors 35, 10, similaito that shown,in Letters Patent #592,603. The sector 35 is arranged above the stencilpassage and is secured to the hand-operated shaft 23, so that it may be rotated by hand atA the same time the feeding-device is op erated. The sector 40 is arranged below the envelop-passage and is secured to a shaft 41, having its bearings in one end-portion 42, of the lever, pivoted at 43, the other endportion 44 of saidlever having a hole through it to loosely receive a stud 45, which is encircled by a spring 46, so that saidend- 'which is engaged by a toothed gear-wheel '48, (secured to the shaft 23, so that upon turning said shaft 23 by hand, both sectors =will be rotated simultaneously, and when in the position shown in Fig. 1, they will ador thereabout, and so as to be subsequently' pushed forwarchby the next succeeding stencil, entirely through the entrance at the bottom of the stencilreceiving compartiment.

`Within the stencil-receiving compartment and adjacent the entrance ,thereto a air of bosses 55, 55, having inclined tops, 1ere shown as curved, are arranged on the bottom lips of the grooves of the guide-bars, see Fig. 8, thus occupying positions in the' path of movement .of the stencils, and the stencils which enter said compartment are moved over these bosses, and during such movement are caused to tip first upward and then downward and iinally to restin a downwardly inclined position with their rear` ends projecting over the tops of the bosses, said rear ends being thereby held in an elevated position, so that the front end of the next succeeding stencil will, when thrust into the compartment, first engage the uplifted rear end of a downwardly inclined stencil and then will be slid along beneath said stencil and moved into a downwardly' inclined position, and thus become the bottomv stencil of the pile. j

When hand 'actuated means is employed for feeding stencils forward into position to be engaged by the printing-device it will be understood that their movement is liable to be more or less irregular, and to prevent the stencil from boundin forward inthe stencil-passage, a frictionevice is arranged therein, just in front ot the printing-device, which, as shown in Fig. 7, consists of a lip 50, formed on a clip 51, and arranged on one ot the guide-bars 12, said lip 50 being extended downward into the stencil-passage far enough to engage one of the edge por tions ofthe stencils. Such a friction-device is also of advantage in retarding or checking forward movement of the stencils in `other forms ot addressing-machines.

The inking-mechanism for the printin' device, as here shown, comprises an ingdelivering roll 60, an ink-transferring roll 65, and an ink-supply roll 70. The inldelivering roll 60 has a lane face for lengagement with the printing-sector 35, and

1s loosely journaled in the frame, and is.

adapted to be rotated by the printing-sector when the latter is in trictional engagement with it, and is also adapted to be rotated by hand, when desired, it having a handle 61 provided for this purpose.l

The ink-transferring roll 65 has a plane face for engagement with the ink-delivering roll (50 and ink-supply roll 70,v and Ais journaled in an arinGG, which is pivotally supported on the shaft 23, or other convenient support, and which is yieldingly held in elevated position with the roll borne by it in engagement with the rolls 60 and 70, by means of a spring 67,which is attached at one end to .the arm and at the other end to a fixed point. Said roll 65 is rotatable and also movable axially, and, as here shown, it has secured to one of its journals a knob 68, see Fig. 5, adapted to be engaged byliand for the purpose'of thus moving it,a.nd its bearings in the arm admit of a. sliding as well asa rotating movement. The ink-supply roll is or may be made substantially as shown in Letters Patent #1,036,200 and #1,036,201, aforesaid, and is adapted to supply. ink through" numerous perforations in its ,pla-ne cylindrical face by turning the knob 7l', while holding the knob 7 2 stationarily. |Thus, to supply ink `said roll-70 is rotated and the ink caused to project through the numerous perforations in its cylindrical wall, and the roll 65 is then rotated and moved axially by hand, and then the roll 60 is rotated by hand until the plane face of said roll 60 becomes covered with ink, which, it will be understood is sufficient to last for a short period of time, and'then these operations are repeated. rlhe inlrsupply roll 70 is held in elevated position by the roll 65, so thatfthe weight of said roll 70, is borne by said roll 65, and, as said roll 65 is held in frictioual engagement with the roll 60 it will be seen that all of the rolls will be rotated by the printing-sector' 35.- 'llhis form of inking-mechanism is simple and adapted to be operated by hand and well subserves its purpose, although it will be understood that, so far as otherfeatures of the invention are concerned,l other torins of inking-mechanism may `be employed.

ll claim z--f v 1. Alu addressing machine comprising a base having aflat top with a raised portion thereon at one end, a pair ot grooved guidebars arranged horizontally on said raised portion, and extended over the remainder of the top of the base in. an elevated position, toprovide a space beneath them for an envelop, a pair of uprights arranged on saidbars at one end to form a supply-compartment for the stencils, and a -pair ot uprights arranged on said bars at the other end to form a receivingcompartment for the stencils, those portions of the upper lips ot'` the grooves of said bars between the uprights ctt each compartment being cut away,

substantiallyl as described.

2. An addressing machine comprising a base having a flat top with a raised portion thereon at one end, a pair of grooved guidebars arranged horizontally on said raised portion, and extended over the remainder of the to of the base in an elevated position to provi e a space beneath them for anenvelop, a pair of uprights arranged on said bars at one end to form a supply-compartment for the stencils, and a pair of uprights arranged on said bars at the other end to form a receiving-compartment for the stencils, those portions of the upper lips of the grooves of said bars between the uprights of each compartment being cut away, means arranged at the bottom of. the receiving-compartment to cause the stencils, when v thrust thereinto to tilt and thereafter to hold them with their rear ends in elevated position, and means arranged to feed the stencils intermittently from one to the other compartment, substantially as described.

3. An addressing machine comprising a pair of horizontal barsv having guidinggrooves arranged. facing each other, up-` rights arranged on said bars to form a stencil-receiving compartment, the upper lips of the grooves of said bars between said uprights, being cut away and bosses, with inclined tops, arranged on the lower lips of said bars in the path of movement of the stencils, andy adjacent theentrance to the compartment, said bosses acting to cause the stencils, which enter the compartment, to move rst in an upwardly inclined direction, and then in a downwardly inclined direction, 'and to finally hold them with their rear ends in an elevated position, substantially as described.

4. An addressing machine comprising a pair of horizontal barshaving guidinggrooves arranged facing each other, a pair of cross-bars secured to said guide-bars, each cross-bar having uprights with angularly farmed sides, the inner faces yof the sides being arranged in line with the sides of the grooves, the upper lips of the grooves of the guide-bars being cut away between said cross-bars, thus forming a yreceivingcompartment for the stencils, and bosses having inclined tops arranged on the lower lips of the grooves near the entrance to the compartment, in the path of movement of the stencils, which cause the stencils, whichpair of rotatable sectors arranged, respec- Lazare-t tively, above and below a stencil-passage and an envelop-passage for engaging, at their points of tangency, a stencil and an enl velop contained in said passages, gearing connecting said sectors and a double crankarm with handle connected with one of the sectors for rotating them, a supply-compartment for stencils associated with the stencil-passage, a sliding-pusher arranged for reciprocation in the stencil-passage and a link pivotally connected at one end with said pusher and loosely mounted at its other end on said double crank-arm, substantially as described.

. 6. An addressing machine comprising a. pair of horizontal guide-bars arranged to form a stencil-passage and in connection with their supportto form an envelop-passage beneath them, a stencil-receiving compartment located at the end of said stencilpassage, and opening thereto at its bottom,

' a pair of sectors arranged respectively in planes above and below the stencil-passage and envelop-passage to engage the stencils and envelops and feed them along the passage into the receiving-compartment, means to suppiy one of said sectors ,with ink, and

"means to feed the stencils along the stencilpassage into position to be engaged by the sectors, substantially as described.

7. An addressing machine comprising a pair of horizontal guide-bars arranged to form a stencil-passage, said bars being supported at one end and disposed a short distance above the base to provide a horizontal passage beneath them which is open at the side and at one end to receive and permit forward movement of an envelop, a receiving-compartment for the stencils arranged at one of the ends of said guide-bars, and having an entrance at its bottom, leading into the end of the stencil-passage, a pair of sectors arranged respectively in planes above and below the stencil-passage and envelop-passage to engage the stencils and envelops and feed them along their respective passages and into the receiving-compartment, means to supply one of said sectors with ink, and means to feed the stencils along the stencil-passage into position to be engaged by the sectors, substantially as described;

in testimony whereof, I have signed lmy name to this specification, inthe presence of two subscribing witnesses.

STERLING ELLIOTT.

Witnesses:

B. J. Noms, H. B. DAVIS. 

